Apple officially announced on Tuesday that it will abandon its proprietary Lightning cable in favor of the more universally accepted USB-C port.
The switch will be implemented in the new iPhone 15 models, announced at the annual Apple keynote event Tuesday. The announcement comes exactly 11 years after the Lightning cable was first announced.
“USB-C has become a universally accepted standard, so we’re bringing USB-C to iPhone 15,” an Apple representative announced in a recorded video at the event.
“It enables charging, transferring data, playing audio and video, and it’s been built into Apple products for years,” she continued.
Apple is touting the versatility of the USB-C port, noting customers can use the same cable that is already used with recent models of Mac computers, iPads and AirPods Pro.
The representative said Apple users will be able to charge AirPods and Apple Watches directly from an iPhone 15. She also said Apple will introduce new EarPods that use a USB-C cable to connect directly to the iPhone 15 USB-C port via wire.
“Now the same cable can charge Mac, iPad, iPhone, and even AirPods Pro second generation, which is updated with a USB-C connector,” the Apple representative said. “If your AirPods are low on power, you can charge them or even an Apple Watch right from your iPhone. We’re also bringing USB-C to EarPods, so they can work with iPhone 15 seamlessly.”
The change to the USB-C port was long expected, as the European Union recently voted to approve legislation that would require all smartphones and most digital devices to be compatible with a USB-C cable. The new EU law takes effect in 2024, by which point Apple would need to have introduced the new universally accepted cable.
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